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new and confused

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camille

Newbie
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hi. was diagnosed with type 2 in january. am on 160mg gliclazide a day. also have hep c. im confused about the carbs/low carbs thing. the dietician told me to eat carbs with every meal and carry a banana around as a snack. my weight doesnt seem to be shifting even when i've been cutting down. im back at the specialists next week he mentions putting me on insulin injections every time i see him. but he has held off because of the damage it might do to my liver what is already damaged by the hep c. just had liver biopsy 2 weeks ago get results back on 17th oct for that. im fining it difficult to take in at the moment and am not sure if i should be looking for work or on the sick. most of the time im ok but like today ive slept most of the day just really tired. my main question is about carb intake. great forum :D
 
Hi Camille,
There's nothing really confusing about the carbs issue, apart from the absolutely criminal advice that is given to diabetics by some of the medical profession. Have a good look around the forum at the various threads covering diet and carbohydrates and you will find a common theme:

high carbs = uncontrollable blood sugar levels and the need for more and more insulin

reduced carbs = controlled BS, less medication, and no need to move on to insulin injections.

The simple fact is that it is carbohydrates that create blood sugar. The more carbs you eat then the higher the blood sugar will be. Gliclazide is a medication that forces your pancreas to produce insulin. By having a diet that is high in carbohydrate, you will need higher and higher amounts of gliclazide to produce enough insulin to counteract the high sugar levels. With a diet containing less carbs, you will not only find your blood sugar levels reducing but you will need less and less gliclazide, which can only be a good thing because gliclazide is one of the meds that can cause hypos. Unfortunately it does have a longer-term side effect in gradually burning-out your pancreas.

Nearly all type-2s have some degree of insulin resistance (i.e. the insulin that you do produce is prevented from working efficiently). Unfortunately the two types of medication that can counter insulin resistance are not suitable for anyone with decreased liver functionality. So in your case it makes even more sense to reduce the carbs to ensure that your body doesn't need to produce as much insulin.
 
thanx for the replies folks. :D after posting the thread i read more psts on the carbs situation. it seems ridiculous to be given such opposite advice.from the medical profession. i will give it a try anyway (low carbs). thanx again.
 
You will have to let us know how you get on. I was in a mess when I found this site and was advised of the low carb so I made the change, I had nearly immediate sucess.
 
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